Carrier-track.



G. LANE.

CARRIER TRACK.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 2v, 1910,

1|.. ML 1M Gym 24 mm DE dw .muur/d H G Tu n@ DL hw. .m

Inventor.'

lian/ev,

G. LANE. CARRIER TRACK.

r APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1910. 1,01 3,025". .Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Invenr.'

CDLUMBIA r'LANoGn/WH co.,w/\sHlNGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE LANE, 0E EOUGHKEEESIE, NEW YORK, AssIGNoE. To LANE Enos. co., 0EroUGHKEErsIE, NEW YORK.

yCARB/IEla-TRACK.

Specication of Letters Ilatent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE LANE, citizen of the United States, residingat Poughkeepsie, New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Carrier- Tracks, of which the following is aspecitication.

The invention is designed for use with store ladders and the like inwhich the object supported is to be moved longitudinally of the track,and while I have shown it in connection with a store ladder, I do notlimit myself to such use. It is desirable also to provide such aconstruction of bracket and .track as will leave both the upper and thelower surfaces of the track entirely free, the upper surface being clearfor the movement of the carrying wheels thereon, and the lower surfacebeing clear from end to end for the location in close proximity theretoof a stop or anti-jumping device or clamp mounted on the movable frame.

My present invention is designed to meet the requirements above noted,and other requirements as will appear hereinafter, and to provide asimple and effective means for clamping to the brackets the track at anypoint along the same, and it consists in the features relating to theseparts and in the features and combination of elements hereinafterdescribed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a rear view `of a section of astore ladder track embodying my invention, showing the carrier for thestore ladder mounted thereon and a portion of said ladder; Fig. 2 is anend view of the parts shown in Fig'. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail view of thetrack and supporting bracket; Fig. 3a is a transverse sectional view ofthe splice for uniting two sections of the track; Fig. 4: is a view of amodified form of track and splice; Fig. 5 is a view of a modified formof clamp for a bracket.

In these drawings 1 is the track formed of tubular metal having a slot 2extending from end to end along its rear side, and 3 are the supportingbrackets each having an upright portion or arm 4 for attachment byscrews 4to the part to which the track is to be* attached and ahorizontal arm 5 extending through the rear slot in the track and havinga head in the form of a rectangular piece or plate 6 fixed by rivetingor in any other suitablenmanner to the end of the horizontal arm. Thishead or plate is arranged on edge or vertically and it carries aclamping screw or screws 7 which extend through the slot in the track tobe accessible at all times for adjustment. The screws pass through screwthreaded openings in the clamping head or plate, and when set in properposition to clamp the track in place their ends bear upon the interiorof the wall of the track at a point opposite the slot, and thus forcethe track into strong clamping contact with the head or plate to holdthe track securely thereon. The clamping screws may be of any suitableform, for" instance that shown having thesquare heads. By thisconstruction it will be seen that the supporting bracket may be adjustedto any point along the track and the latter quickly clamped in positionthereon, and bothv the upper and lower sides of the track will be leftentirely clear for receiving the carrying wheels and the stop or brakerespectively, when the invention is used in connection with a device inwhich a stop or brake is employed such, for instance, as a store ladder.Such a brake or stop is shown generally at 10 consisting of a pivotedlever pivoted at 11 and adapted to be pressed up against the under sideof the track by a rod 12 operated by a handle 13 pivoted to a bracket14, the handle having a notched end 15 by which it may be locked to therod 12 when the brake or clamp 10 is pressed against the under side oft-he track.

It is desirable in apparatus of this kind to have the bracket extensionjust back of the track as narrow vertically as possible in order thatthe groove of the carrying wheel may be of sufficient depth to preventthe wheelsv from becoming dislodged from the track. In my constructionthe bracket is formed all in one piece, the horizontal portion or armbeing integral with` the vertical portion, and the horizontal portionmay be as wide as desired for any given thickness of the metal, and thusextend along the slot to give the desired strength to the bracket, andlikewise the clamping head may extend along the inside of the rail tosecure the desired extension of clamping bearing. By this construction astrong bracket is pro-- vided and one which occupies a limited spacevertically as to its horizontal arm, leaving a maximum amount of thetrack exposed on its upper and lower sides for receiving the carryingwheels, and for contact with the stop or anti-jumping device, or brake.Furthermore, it will be observed that the clamping screws extending backthrough the same slot with the brackets and being in line with thebrackets, do not interfere with the available surface of the track, anda wheel or flange or an under guard or brake that will run clear of thebracket will valso run clear of the clamping screw. In Fig. 4, I show amodified form of track, this being of C-shape instead of circular incross section, the clamping device, however, being substantially thesame as that shown in the form irst described.

In order to splice two rail sections together, I employ a splice 8consisting of two bars extending lengthwise ofthe track and within thesaine, and across the joint betweentwo of the track sections, one ofthese bars carrying clamp screws 9 passing through openings in the barand having their ends to bear upon the adjacent bar. These screwsvextend out through the slot in the track or are accessible through saidslot, and when turned they spread the splice bars apart so that theywill press upon the interior of the opposite sides ofy the track or railto be clamped thereto, and thus hold the adjacent track sectionstogether. Instead of employing two bars, one bar may be used, the clampscrews passing through this bar and bearing with their ends upon theinterior wall of the track to throw or clamp the bar against the slottedwall. This form of'splice is shown in Fig. 4L, though it may be used inconnection with the form of device first described'.`

I show in Fig. 5 c a modified form of bracket'in which', instead ofhaving a single head. piece secured lto the end of the horizontal` armof the bracket, I may employ a second plate against vwhich the end ofthe clamping screw bears, 1so that by turning this screw the' secondplate 9 will be forced against? one wall, and the other pla-te which isattached' to the bracket will be borne upon by the `opposite wall of theytrack to thus secure the bracket and track together.

In Figs. 1, 3a and 5 I show a guide pin at 20 connected rigidly to oneof the splice bars 8 andl enteringan openingin the other splice bar bywhich said bars will be held against longitudinal displacement inrelation to each other, but one will be permitted lIonovement laterallvin respect to the other I do not limit myself to the details ofconstruction described, nor to the application of my invention to storeladders. For instance, the track, together with the brackets, clamps andsplice, may be used in tracks or hangers designed for use in situationsother than with store ladders. It will be clear, of course, that whenthe screws of the clamps are loosened, the said clamp, together with thebrackets, may slip along the track to any desired positions.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination, a hollow track having a slotextending longitudinally thereof, a bracket having a portion in linewith the said slot and having a clamping head thereon within the track,and a clamp device extending through the slot and mounted on one of saidparts to clamp the head to the interior of the track, by a movement ofone in relation to the other substantially as described.

2. In combination, a hollow track having a slot extending longitudinallythereof, a

the said slot, a clamping head thereon wi in the track having ascrew-threaded perforation, and a clamp screw passed through the slotand head to clamp the head to the interior of the track, substantiallyas described. V

3. In combination, 'track sections having each a slot extendinglongitudinally thereof, splice means extending across the joint frombracket having a portion extending through one section to the other andwithin the same,

veach a slot extendinglongitudinally thereof,

a splice bar extending from one section to the other, and clamp screwsin line with the slot and engaging thesplice bar to clamp the same tothe interior of the track sections, substantially asl described.

5.V In combination, a track section havinga longitudinal slot, a bracketpassing through the said slot and having a head on its inner end, and aclamp screw passing through the said head in line with the slot andbearing uponV the opposite interior wall of the track to clamp thebracket in place, substantially as described.

6. In combination, a plurality of track sections of hollow form, eachhaving a longitudinal slot, a splice bar extending across the jointbetween the sections, and clamp screws in line with the slot and passingthrough the splice bar and bearing upon the opposite interior wall ofthe track to clamp thetsplice bar in place, substantially as de scribed.

7. In combination a track haVing a longiclamping head to clamp thebracket and tudinal slot, a bracket of fiat metal having track together,substantially as described. 10

an arm with its Width extending in a hori- In testimony whereof, I aiXmy signa- Zontal plane and passing through the said ture in presence oftwo Witnesses.

slot and having a head on its inner end, and GEORGE LANE.

a clamping device in the saine horizontal Witnesses:

plane as the fiat metal arm in line With the F. EUGENE DAVIS,

slot, and engaging and coacting with the JOHN M. JANES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C.

